The San Francisco Giants may be without one of their young arms for a significant stretch after right-hander Hayden Birdsong received concerning results from a recent MRI.

Birdsong has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 right forearm strain along with a sprain of his ulnar collateral ligament following elbow discomfort during a recent Cactus League appearance.

According to Maria Guardado of MLB.com, the 24-year-old is currently evaluating treatment options and plans to travel to Dallas to seek a second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister.

While Birdsong could attempt rehabilitation, surgery remains a possibility if the injury does not respond to treatment.

In the worst-case scenario, the right-hander could require Tommy John surgery, a procedure that generally carries a recovery timeline of roughly 12 to 14 months.

“It’s certainly not the best-case scenario, but hopefully we get the best-case scenario of the unfortunate circumstances,” Giants manager Tony Vitello said Sunday.

Birdsong experienced the issue during a relief outing against the Cleveland Guardians earlier in the week. After firing a curveball, he said he felt a pop in his elbow, prompting him to exit after completing one scoreless inning.

The appearance had been his strongest showing of the spring, even though his overall results in Cactus League play were rocky.

“Obviously, I’m not happy about it, but it’s one of those things that I feel like everybody kind of goes through at this point,” Birdsong said. “I wish it wasn’t right now. I wish I could do a couple of seasons before something like this happens.”

Birdsong had entered camp hoping to secure a bullpen spot for Opening Day, but his early spring struggles and the emergence of several young pitchers complicated that outlook even before the injury.

Prospects such as Trevor McDonald, Carson Whisenhunt, Carson Seymour, and Blade Tidwell have all made strong impressions during camp.

Vitello said Birdsong has handled the setback with a positive attitude despite the uncertainty.

“I don't think the timing is ever good,” Vitello said. “He's a pretty positive kid. I think he's too hard on himself on the mound, if we're going to be blunt. But I think he's always a positive kid.”

Birdsong appeared in 21 games for San Francisco last season, including 10 starts, posting a 4.80 ERA. After a strong first stretch out of the bullpen, command issues eventually led to a late-season stint at Triple-A Sacramento.

For now, the Giants’ projected rotation of Logan Webb, Robbie Ray, Landen Roupp, Adrian Houser, and Tyler Mahle remains intact. Still, the club could be forced to lean more heavily on its pitching depth if Birdsong ultimately faces a lengthy recovery.

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